At least four NHL clubs have expressed interest in acquiring 29-year-old forward Jake DeBrusk from the Vancouver Canucks.
Interest from Four Clubs Emerges
David Pagnotta reported that Ottawa, Seattle, Winnipeg and Columbus have each contacted Vancouver about DeBrusk.
DeBrusk holds five years remaining on his contract at an annual average of $5.5 million together with a full no-movement clause.
The 29-year-old has stated he does not wish to participate in a Vancouver rebuild.
Ottawa and Columbus both finished outside the 2026 playoffs and view DeBrusk as an immediate top-nine upgrade.
Seattle and Winnipeg finished with 92 and 98 points respectively and seek left-wing depth for a potential first-round push.
Contract and Retention Factors
Vancouver carries Elias Pettersson at $11.6 million; league sources believe the Canucks could retain up to $3 million to facilitate a separate Pettersson transaction.
DeBrusk’s $5.5 million hit represents a lower barrier than most pending unrestricted free agents entering July.
The four interested clubs each possess cap space between $8 million and $14 million heading into the 2026 offseason.
A retention package on DeBrusk would drop his effective cost below $4 million for the acquiring team.
Pettersson’s situation remains fluid while the Sedin twins work internally to stabilize his production.
Outlook for Acquiring Teams
Ottawa’s addition of a proven 20-goal scorer would complement their young core and accelerate contention plans.
Seattle could slot DeBrusk beside Matty Beniers to improve secondary scoring without sacrificing draft capital.
Winnipeg would gain a left-shot winger who has posted at least 40 points in five of the past six seasons.
Columbus would receive a veteran presence on the third line while preserving future assets for further additions.
None of the four teams currently projects to exceed the $88 million salary cap ceiling after a DeBrusk acquisition.
By the July 1 2026 free agency window, DeBrusk’s $5.5 million cap hit will anchor one contender’s top-six forward group.
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Par Mike Jonderson
Mike Jonderson is a passionate hockey analyst and expert in advanced NHL statistics. A former college player and mathematics graduate, he combines his understanding of the game with technical expertise to develop innovative predictive models and contribute to the evolution of modern hockey analytics.